New MacBook Air With 3nm M3 Chip Rumored to Launch in Second Half of 2023

Apple plans to release a new MacBook Air in the second half of 2023, and it may be equipped with a 3nm chip, according to a report today from Taiwanese publication DigiTimes. This chip would likely be Apple's next-generation M3 chip, which would offer faster performance and improved power efficiency compared to Apple's current 5nm chips.

MacBook Air M2 Chip Purple Feature
"The supply chain is more focused on the more affordable MacBook Air, which is expected to be updated in the second half of 2023 and may be equipped with a 3nm processor," the report says, citing industry sources. The report does not provide any additional details about the MacBook Air or a more specific launch timeframe.

Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC kicked off mass production of 3nm chips in late December. The M3 chip in the next MacBook Air could be one of Apple's first 3nm chips alongside the A17 Bionic chip in iPhone 15 Pro models later this year.

Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro will also be updated with 3nm M3 Pro and M3 Max chips in 2024. This would be a familiar pattern for Apple, as the M1 and M2 chips debuted in the MacBook Air, followed by Pro and Max versions of those chips in the MacBook Pro later.

There's a few caveats to consider with this report. First, these are the same DigiTimes authors who claimed that the just-announced 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips would be "delayed" beyond early 2023, which was incorrect. Second, display industry analyst Ross Young last month claimed that a 15-inch MacBook Air would be released in the first half of 2023. If today's report is accurate, then perhaps both 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs with 3nm chips will launch in the second half of 2023 instead.

The current MacBook Air with the M2 chip was released in July and features an all-new design with a notch in the display, MagSafe charging, a 1080p camera, and more. Apple also continues to sell a MacBook Air with the M1 chip.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...

Top Rated Comments

bollman Avatar
30 months ago
"Affordable"... yeah, well, the MacBook Air M1 they're still selling is somewhat "affordable". The rest of the lineup is just crazy. I mean, even my uni are starting to get worried about the pricing.
We get lowered prices from the likes of Dell and HP and crazy prices hikes from Apple. Sooner or later, Apple will price themselves out of the game. At least here in Europe where prices are much higher.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
30 months ago
Impatiently waiting for a 15” MacBook Air (Midnight). So stoked and I cannot wait! I don’t what to do but It will be an instant buy for me without any hesitation.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
code-m Avatar
30 months ago
DigiTimes ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/01/11/new-macbook-pros-potentially-delayed-yet-again/'); enough said.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SR 7 Avatar
30 months ago
Who cares if M3 gets released. I have M1 and it's cool. What is M2 doing that M1 can't? Nothing. Same with M3. Apple is Microsoft. Every year come out with a new and faster processor and get people excited enough to buy a new computer.

It reminds me of when a 1.8ghz processor was released 3 months after a 1.6ghz and then a 2.0ghz was released 6 months after the 1.8ghz. Like who cares? Thats why Jobs took advantage of the market and turned Apple into what it was. He INNOVATED.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stella Avatar
30 months ago
This is Digitimes.

You know, the ones that claimed MacBook Pros had been delayed again just last week.

The ones that have never got any predictions right.

They write clickbait BS.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TigeRick Avatar
30 months ago
Make sense if Apple going to introduce MBA 15 inch which essential is big brother to 13-inch. So future MBA lineup could be following:

1. MBA Classic M1/M2 ? 13-inch $999
2. New MBA 13 with M3 $1199
3. New MBA 15 with M3 $1399?

Hmm, wonder will Apple update classic MBA to M2 since Mac Mini just being updated to M2.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)